About Us
Influential. Investigative. Independent
EUobserver is a not-for-profit, independent online newspaper established in Brussels in 2000. We value free thinking and plain speech and aim to support European democracy by reflecting the voice of people and by giving people the information they need to hold the EU establishment to account.
Our goal
European journalism is essential in making European democracy actually function. Today, there is a gap between the decision-makers in Brussels and the people they represent. Our goal is to fill this gap by reporting on how decisions are made in the European Union, and by giving people the possibility of making their voice heard within the European institutions.
We do this through our articles, our exclusive news stories, our cross-border investigations, our opinion platform and through our relentless quest for transparency and accountability.
Our reach
The EUobserver is one of the most influential news platforms in the European institutions. With a small but dedicated team, we succeed in having an impact. Our reporting has made sure that issues were put on the EU agenda, that ordinary people from Europe and beyond have been heard in Brussels, and even forced officials to resign because they did not live up to the moral standards the EU should have.
Our principles
EUobserver is the only independent news media covering EU affairs in Brussels and beyond. We are not funded by the EU institutions. We generate our own income from membership, group subscriptions and advertising. We also receive institutional grant support from the Adessium Foundation, Fondation Nicolas Puech, Tides Foundation and the Schöpflin Stiftung.
We pledge never to take any financial support from the tobacco industry, the defence industry, nor from any entity, private or public, that does not respect the full independence of our journalism.
Therefore, the support from our readers through membership and group subscriptions is essential.
Contact us
EUobserver
Résidence Palace, International Press Centre
Rue de la Loi / Wetstraat 155
1040 Brussels
Belgium
General info/inquiries and corrections
For opinion submissions, we recommend pieces of 600–800 words. Due to the volume of submissions, EUobserver only responds to submissions we are interested in publishing.
Our team
Alejandro Tauber
Publisher
Alejandro joined EUobserver in September 2022. He is Ecuadorian, German, and American, but lives in Amsterdam. His background is in tech and science reporting, and was previously editor at VICE's Motherboard and publisher of TNW.
Lisbeth Kirk
Founder
Lisbeth founded EUobserver in 2000 and is responsible to the Board for effective strategic leadership, planning and performance. After graduating from the Danish School of Media and Journalism, she worked as a journalist, analyst, and editor for Danish media.
Elena Sánchez Nicolás
Managing Editor
Elena joined EUobserver in 2019. She is from Spain and has studied journalism and new media in Spanish and Belgian universities. Previously she worked on European affairs at VoteWatch Europe and the Spanish news agency EFE.
Andrew Rettman
Foreign Affairs Reporter
Andrew has been writing about foreign and security affairs for EUobserver since 2005. He is Polish but grew up in the UK. He has also written for The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The Times of London.
Nikolaj Nielsen
Journalist
Nikolaj joined EUobserver in 2012 and covers home affairs. He is originally from Denmark, but spent much of his life in France and in Belgium. He was awarded the King Baudouin Foundation grant for investigative journalism in 2010.
Wester van Gaal
Journalist
Wester is a journalist from the Netherlands with a focus on the green economy. He joined EUobserver in September 2021. Previously he was editor-in-chief of Vice, Motherboard, a science-based website, and climate economy journalist for The Correspondent.
Matthew Tempest
Journalist and Comment Editor
Matthew joined EUobserver in June 2018. Previously he worked as a reporter for The Guardian in London, and as editor for AFP in Paris and DPA in Berlin.
Henner Sorg
Sales and Marketing Manager
Henner joined EUobserver in 2016. He is originally from Germany and has been educated at British universities. He has worked as a communications and policy officer in Brussels for over 10 years.
Lou Wilmes
Diplomatic Relations Manager
Lou joined EUobserver in 2022. He is originally from Gent, Belgium holds a bachelor in Economics and a master in International Relations.
Atufa Ali
Business Administration
Atufa joined EUobserver in 2018. She is from Pakistan and was educated in France & Brussels. With a masters in finance, Atufa previously worked for a number of hotels and industries in Brussels as finance & payroll consultant.
Our board
EUobserver is a not-for-profit organisation established as an ASBL under Belgian law. Our board consists of:
Koert Debeuf
Koert is former Editor-in-Chief of EUobserver. Now he is Distinguished Adjunct Professor for the Middle East at the VUB and senior political advisor at Avisa Partners. Former advisor to the prime minister of Belgium. He is Research Fellow at the Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict at Harris Manchester College, Oxford University. He is a columnist and author of several books.
Martin Moos
Martin joined the board in 2011. Based in Copenhagen, he is the founder and CEO of ColorClub, a graphic design firm with branches in Denmark, Sweden and Asia.
Paul Kidner
Paul leads the PRAKSIS Business Coaching Center, an NGO programme dedicated to supporting new businesses in Greece. He has developed and launched a platform to create sources of seed-funding for aspiring entrepreneurs. Paul has 20 years of experience in business development, innovation and social impact.
Saskia Horsch
Saskia joined EUobserver's board in 2014. A qualified lawyer with over 10 years of experience in public affairs, she previously worked for Brussels-based consultancy firms as well as for the European Commission's Directorate General for Competition.
Catherine Nicholson
Catherine is the European Affairs Editor at Paris-based public service broadcaster France 24 and earlier worked for Bloomberg News and BBC regional newsrooms. Cathrine holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from University College Falmouth.
Assya Kavrakova
Assya is the executive director of the European Citizen Action Service, ECAS, a Brussels-based non-profit working to empower citizens to exercise their rights. She has a master's degree in law and another master's degree in European studies.
Nikolaus Hutter
Nikolaus is the founder of New Paradigm Ventures, an advisory firm focused on the impact-driven economy. He worked for 10+ years in venture capital investment, private equity and strategy consulting, and in operating roles in the Cleantech industry. He studied business in Vienna and Strasbourg/France and political economy at the London School of Economics.
Filip Lugovic
Filip is the co-founder and managing director of The Right Street, a Brussels-based agency specialising in digital advocacy and EU communications. He is also a co-founder and board member of the Croatia-EU Business Council, an independent CEO-level forum for Croatian and EU business leaders. Previously, Filip worked as EUobserver's business manager from 2008-2015, and for DeHavilland EU.
EUobserver 2023 Revenue Breakdown
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